The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for winding yarn or thread as a skein on a bobbin or reel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process and means for winding a skein of yarn or thread on a reel or bobbin, for example at the end of a yarn or thread spinning operation, such that, in the course of additional handling of the skein, the upper layers of thread or yarn are prevented from getting under the lower layers. In addition, the present invention relates to a device for use with a rotary driven bobbin or reel basket provided with a reciprocating yarn or thread laying and guiding device.
Known processes and apparatus for spooling of yarn or thread, in the course of manufacture of such yarn or thread, provide skeins having a substantially rectangular or trapezoidal shaped cross section. The inconvenience of such a shape of yarn or thread skein wound on a bobbin or reel is that the top layers of yarn or thread may slid down sideways along the outer edge of the skein and get entangled with the lower layers of thread. This "falling over" of the edges of the yarn or thread occurs especially during further processing of the yarn or thread when the skein is removed from the reeling machine, for example when cotton yarn is mercerized. If the top layers of yarn or thread of a skein fall over on the lower layers, respooling of the skein upon completion of a finishing step in a manufacturing process becomes a serious problem.
The present invention eliminates such inconveniences and shortcomings of the prior art by providing a process and apparatus which prevents the top layers of thread or yarn from being pulled under the lower layers in the course of a spooling operation. The present invention accomplishes its object by winding the lower layers of the skein across a certain layer width on the reel or bobbin and by winding the upper layers across a lesser width, such that a stepped cross section of the skein results.